Chapter 246: Imperial Princess

Outside the Tang army’s camp stood a young Taoist priest, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. He had a broad forehead, bright eyes, was dressed in a white Taoist robe, wore a Taoist hat, and held a feather duster, his expression utterly calm.

Several Tang soldiers guarding the camp gate stared at him in surprise. In the Central Plains, such Taoist priests could be found everywhere, but this was the Eastern Cao Kingdom, thousands of miles away from Chang’an—where not even a single Han person could be seen, let alone a Taoist priest.

At that moment, orders began to be issued from the Tang army camp, signaling preparations to set off and return. The camp was in an uproar. Li Qing’an stepped out under the protection of a dozen personal guards. The young Taoist priest seemed to recognize Li Qing’an. With a wave of his feather duster, he stepped forward and bowed, saying, “Venerable Lord, this humble Taoist, Li Bi, pays his respects to General Li.”

“Li Bi?”

Li Qing’an was momentarily stunned. Which Li Bi? He glanced at the Taoist priest from head to toe, feeling a sense of familiarity in his features, and asked, “Were you once an official in the court?”

“This humble one once served in the Eastern Palace and met General Li there.”

“Oh, so it’s you!”

Li Qing’an suddenly remembered—he had indeed met this man in the Eastern Palace. He had been a scholar in the Crown Prince Li Heng’s entourage. Li Qing’an’s attitude immediately became warm as he laughed and said, “So it’s an old acquaintance! Meeting an old friend in a foreign land is one of the four great joys in life. Please come inside and talk.”

Li Qing’an warmly invited Li Bi into the main tent. After they sat down, he ordered his guards to bring two cups of tea before smiling and asking, “Sir, why did you give up your position as an official in the Eastern Palace to become a Taoist priest?”

Li Bi took a sip of the hot tea and sighed, “Yang Guozhong could not tolerate me. He repeatedly slandered me to the emperor, claiming I had misled the former crown prince. The emperor dismissed me from my position, so I became a Taoist priest and traveled throughout the land. Today, I have come to see you, General.”

Li Qing’an also knew a little about Li Bi. In history, he was known as the “commoner prime minister,” having served under four emperors of the Middle Tang Dynasty. He had become a Taoist priest several times and returned to court again and again. He had saved the Tang Dynasty from crisis, capable of either dominating the world or living like a carefree heron. Such an extraordinary man had come to him! After all, even Tang Seng had not traveled this far on his pilgrimage. If he wasn’t practicing under Mount Zhongnan, why would he come here? Was this really just wandering?

Li Qing’an didn’t point it out and instead asked, “What do you think of the customs in the Western Regions?”

“The local customs are exotic, but they carry a fierce atmosphere that makes it hard to focus and observe carefully.”

Li Bi sighed softly and then smiled at Li Qing’an, “When I entered the camp earlier, I saw the soldiers packing up. Are we returning to the State of Shi?”

“Have you heard any news?”

“I heard while crossing the Juyantidu River that the Arab forces had already captured Talas City, putting the Tang army in danger behind the lines, so the general had to withdraw. But is that really the case?”
Li Bi’s words were rather blunt, or rather, a bit harsh. Li Qing’an’s expression darkened immediately, and he said calmly, “Do you have any insightful opinions, sir?”
Though he spoke as if seeking advice, Li Qing’an had no intention of actually asking for it. Li Bi might indeed be formidable in history, but that required an understanding and familiarity with the situation to speak authoritatively. Having just arrived in the Western Regions, he might not even have seen an Arab soldier—how could he then dare to give orders regarding battles there? He sipped his tea slowly, eager to hear what “insightful opinions” Li Bi had. If he simply blurted out nonsense about the war situation, needless to say, he’d cover his teacup and send him away!
As if unaware of Li Qing’an’s expression, Li Bi waved his dust brush and said calmly, “I just came from the Central Plains; I really don’t have much insight into the situation in the Western Regions. My suggestion that the general should withdraw came from the boatman who helped me cross the river. But…”
Li Bi’s humility made Li Qing’an feel a bit better about him, so he nodded and smiled, “But what? Please go on.”
“But although the Arabs attacked Talas openly, the general must be more wary of hidden threats from the court. Open attacks are easy to avoid, but hidden threats are hard to defend against!”
Li Qing’an narrowed his eyes and asked, “What hidden threats? Could you explain that more clearly?”
“I’d like to ask the general—how many troops does he currently have at his disposal?”
“Well…” Li Qing’an thought for a moment before answering, “About a hundred thousand, I suppose.”
“A hundred thousand troops. Has the general ever considered that among all the military governors of our Tang Dynasty, which one has more troops than Anxi? But troop numbers aren’t the most important issue.”
“Please continue, sir. What is the most important thing?”
Li Bi looked straight into Li Qing’an’s eyes and said slowly, “What’s important is that the general no longer needs support from the court. A force of a hundred thousand can even sustain itself in terms of food. Has the general thought about what the emperor might think?”
“What could the emperor think? If it can reduce the court’s burden, why wouldn’t he agree?” Li Qing’an smiled faintly.

Li Mi was indeed a famous figure in history, but how much had history really changed because of his intervention? Prince Li Hen had never been deposed in history, yet now he had been; what about Li Mi? He was no longer a scholar in the Eastern Palace. According to him, he was dismissed due to slander by Yang Guozhong, but he himself didn’t know the truth. If Li Mi had already sided with Yang Guozhong, was he here to probe for information? Would he treat Li Mi sincerely just because he was a historical figure?

Suddenly, Li Mi realized something. He remained silent for a long time before finally saying with a bitter smile, “I’ve traveled thousands of miles through wind and rain, from summer to autumn. Is this all the general has to offer me—‘Why not?’”

“Then are you really here on a pilgrimage?”

Silence fell in the tent. After a while, Li Mi sighed and took out a letter from his clothes, placing it in front of Li Qing’an. “This is a recommendation letter from the former prince, recommending me to serve under you, general.”

Li Qing’an took the letter, opened it, and saw that it indeed was written by Li Hen two months earlier. The message was simple: Yang Guozhong was starting to purge lower-ranking officials in the Eastern Palace, and Li Mi was a rare talent. Li Qing’an hoped Li Qing’an would make good use of him. After reading the letter, he glanced at Li Mi and suddenly laughed, “Why didn’t you just show it to me earlier? You went through such a long detour. I thought you were here on a pilgrimage, perhaps determined to spread Taoism of our Tang Dynasty in the Hexi region!”

He picked up Li Mi’s luggage and ordered his guards, “Go and prepare a tent for the gentleman. Arrange for him to bathe and clean up.”

Li Mi was surprised. “Aren’t the Tang troops withdrawing to Shi State?”

Li Qing’an waved his hand and laughed. “It’s true we’re withdrawing to Shi State, but not everyone leaves at once. We’ll go in batches. You go ahead and rest. We’ll set off together tomorrow.”

……

Due to the Tang army’s defeat at Talas, they began retreating to Shi State in the rainy fog of late autumn. At the same time, Abu Muslim of Samarkand also started sending reinforcements to Talas. The first batch of 15,000 Khurasan soldiers moved north along the west bank of the Syr Darya River, while the second batch of about 40,000 Sogdian soldiers was also gathering, set to march on Talas in a few days. Nearly 10,000 camels laden with military supplies for the Arab army marched in a grand procession toward Talas City.

As the Abbasid army gathered at Talas, the Tang army also began to assemble in Tuozhi City. Apart from 10,000 Tang soldiers who remained in the Yincheng area of Bosi Mountain to transport silver, the rest returned to Tuozhi City. Additionally, Li Qing’an ordered 15,000 elite Tianwei troops stationed in Beiting to march toward Suoye. At the same time, the 15,000 Tang soldiers remaining in Suoye, under the leadership of Duan Xiushi, rushed toward the Kingdom of Shi. By this point, including the 20,000 troops from the Kingdom of Shi, the total number of Tang troops assembled in Tuozhi City had reached 70,000. The Kingdom of Shi and the Kingdom of Ningyuan also began full mobilization, providing almost all their food and supplies to support the Tang army, with many craftsmen and laborers being conscripted. History shows astonishing similarities here: in the historical Battle of Talas, the Tang army also numbered 70,000. The difference was that the Tang army did not travel 700 li from Suoye but headed north directly from Tuozhi City in the Kingdom of Shi. Both sides continued to deploy troops continuously—it was an inevitable great battle, whose outcome directly affected the vital interests of the Tang Dynasty and the Abbasid Dynasty in the Transoxian region. At the beginning of October, 50,000 Tang troops arrived on the grasslands 30 li south of Talas City and set up camp there. …
In the Damascus palace, a strange singing voice echoed: “In the palace of gold and ivory lives a valiant king, with vast territories and thousands of servants. The most beautiful women come from all corners to kneel at the feet of the great Caliph, willing to surrender their chastity…” Amidst this eerie singing, Princess Kulan was led slowly into this magnificent palace by a dozen guards. On the throne carved from gold and ivory, Abbas narrowed his eyes, examining the Eye of Light before him. This strange ruby glowed like a flame under the bright light, the flame growing stronger, as if there was a black world within the gem. This was one of the four sacred relics of Zoroastrianism in Persia—the Eye of Light. After taking just a few glances, Abbas’s curiosity was satisfied, and his interest faded. Instead, the beautiful woman in white standing below caught his attention. He heard she was one of the twelve sacred maidens of the Samarkand temple and also a princess of Tashkent. “What is your name?” Abbas asked gently. Kulan’s expression was icy, and she said nothing. Mansur, standing beside her, glared at her angrily and quickly replied, “Your Majesty the Caliph, her name is Eile Kulan. She is the daughter of the king of the Kingdom of Shi and is twenty years old this year.” “Kulan!” Abbas stepped down from the golden throne, circled Kulan carefully, nodded, and smiled, saying, “A beautiful name, and a very beautiful person as well.”

He suddenly raised his voice and said, “As the caliph of the Abbasid Empire, and in accordance with the principle of geographical balance, I must marry a noblewoman from Egypt, Syria, Persia, Armenia, Sindh, and Sogdiana as my concubines. Now that I have concubines from all these regions, I only lack one from Sogdiana. In my eyes, you are the most beautiful gem of Sogdiana—you shall be my Sogdian concubine.”
The eerie singing resumed: “The caliph has countless women, each beautiful and enchanting. Who will have the chance to win his favor? Listen! His affectionate voice is calling—happiness is about to descend upon you…”
“You’re dreaming!”
Kuran’s voice was firm and resolute, cutting through the eerie singing. “Even if I die, I will never marry you.”
“Dare you!”
Manzur rebuked her angrily. “How noble is the Caliph! How dare you, a woman from a small foreign nation, think you can marry him? This is not only your honor but also the honor of your people, the Sogdians. Be grateful!”
Abbas waved his hand to silence Manzur’s outburst. He looked at Kuran with a faint smile and said, “Don’t think I’m interested in you. There’s no woman in the world I can’t have. It’s because I am the ruler of the land—I must marry a Sogdian woman to maintain the balance of the empire’s territories. Think carefully! I believe you’ll accept this honor. Besides, I never marry pagans. Before I marry you, you must convert to Islam.”
Kuran sneered. “You’re delusional. I am a holy maiden of light. How could I betray Ahura Mazda to embrace your religion?”
“That’s not up to you.”
Abbas waved his hand lightly. “Take her to the inner palace and keep a close eye on her!”
A few palace maids stepped forward to take Kuran away, but Abbas called them back and said with a smile, “From now on, I will execute a hundred Sogdian Zoroastrians every day. If you refuse in ten days, I’ll execute a thousand. If you refuse in a year, I’ll execute 36,000—until you agree.”
“The caliph’s wrath shakes the earth and makes the sky weep. Listen! The mournful cries are pleading with you—repent! Ignorant woman, darkness is approaching.”
Amidst the intermittent eerie singing, Kuran walked deeper into the palace without looking back.

Dark clouds hung low, and the north wind howled. On a vast plain, the thundering sound of war drums echoed as 10,000 Syrian infantry soldiers, armed with large shields and spears, slowly advanced toward the Tang army’s positions. Their dense shields completely covered their bodies, rendering the Tang army’s archers ineffective. Not far behind the infantry were 20,000 Syrian cavalrymen, wielding Damascus swords and spears, riding sturdy Arabian horses and closely following the infantry.

This was the first attack by the Syrian army on the Tang forces. Three li away, Abu Muslim led tens of thousands of troops, ready for battle. Across from them, 50,000 Tang soldiers were arranged in formation—infantry, cavalry, archers, and swordsmen lined up in sequence.

Li Qing’an watched coldly as the Syrian infantry closed in, now only 300 steps away. He waved his battle sword and ordered, “The First Cavalry Guard, charge!”

Like an iceberg splitting apart, 10,000 cavalrymen on the left wing, led by General Li Fei Yuanli, charged at the Syrian infantry.

The sound of hooves echoed like thunder, battle swords swung, and spear tips glinted in the air as they rushed forward like a storm, quickly breaking into the infantry ranks. The Tang cavalry, like fierce beasts, charged wildly through the ranks, slashing with their swords and spraying blood everywhere. Nan Jiyun swung his long spear, creating a trail of blood as he carved a path through the enemy, with corpses piling up around him.

As the Tang cavalry stormed into the infantry ranks, the Second and Third Cavalry Guards along with two Syrian regiments launched their attacks. To counter the cavalry, the Tang cavalry used crossbows, firing a torrent of arrows that overwhelmed the enemy forces.

Yet the Syrian horses were extremely fast, charging through the Tang cavalry in just a few bursts. A bloody battle ensued between the two cavalry forces on the vast plain.

Seeing that the Tang army’s archers could no longer be effective, Abu Muslim sneered and ordered, “The Macedonian phalanx, advance!”

A deep sound of horns rang out across the field as the Macedonian regiment of the Abbasid army stepped forward. This was a standard Macedonian heavy infantry unit, consisting of 8,192 men. Sixty-four armored soldiers made up one platoon, 128 formed one company, 256 made up one battalion, 1,024 constituted one regiment, and 4,096 formed one division. A single division formed a phalanx. However, the Abbasid Macedonian phalanx was composed of two full divisions of heavy infantry, without light shield troops or cavalry, with three separate cavalry units protecting the flanks and rear.

The two phalanxes resembled two enormous carpets, rolling forward across the plain. Each heavy infantryman held a round shield in one hand and a four-zhang-long spear in the other. This was a formidable infantry force trained by General Qiyad in Khorasan over half a year, originally intended to counter the Umayyad cavalry of Egypt, but unexpectedly, their real opponents turned out to be the Tang army.

The Macedonian phalanxes advanced at full speed in a dense, solid formation, like a battering ram fiercely striking at the Tang army’s positions.

“Forward, the Moadao troops!” At the command of their commander Li Qing’an, the Tang army’s war drums roared like thunder, echoing across the sky. Five thousand Moadao soldiers charged forward. These were the heavy infantry of the Tang forces in Anxi and Beiting. General Li Siyeh swung his long sword and shouted loudly, “Guys, show these Arabs the power of the Tang army’s heavily armored infantry!”

The five thousand Tang Moadao soldiers formed a wall-like formation, advancing step by step with unwavering determination and fierce combat spirit. They charged head-on at the approaching Macedonian phalanxes. In an instant, the two heavy infantry forces collided, like two monstrous waves crashing against each other in a storm. The Moadao swords carved bloody paths, while the long spears broke through the iron walls. The impenetrable wall of Moadao soldiers pressed forward, their sharp blades cutting through the Macedonian phalanxes’ defenses. Heads flew, limbs scattered, and spears were severed beneath the gleaming blades. Yet the relentless momentum of the phalanxes continued to knock down the Moadao soldiers. As one group fell, another took their place, and the two heavily armored infantry forces fought fiercely, locked in a deadly struggle. The Tang cavalry also spotted the weaknesses in the Macedonian phalanxes and attacked from both flanks, but the Arab cavalry fiercely defended those sides. Despite several attempts, the Tang cavalry failed to break through their dense defensive lines.

From above, the long battlefield was a chaotic mix of the Tang and Arab armies—bloodthirsty cavalry battles, the Tang cavalry’s reckless charges into the infantry formations, and intense clashes between heavy infantry. Although the Arab army outnumbered the Tang forces, the Tang army, equipped with superior weapons, fought evenly with them and even held a slight advantage.

Just then, snowflakes began to fall from the sky—the first snow of the tenth year of the Tianbao era. The snow grew denser, like countless goose feathers dancing in the air, gradually turning both armies white.